Ausborn f



A. F. OLD. SCHOOL DESK.

(No Model.)

Da/160,324. Patented Sept. 29, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFrCE.

AUSBORN F. OLD, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

SCHOOL-DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,324, dated September 29, 1891. Application filed .Tune 20I 1890. Serial No. 356,126. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern;-

Be it known that I, AUSBORN F. OLD, of New York, in the county of New York and State of N ew York, have invented new Improvements in School-Desksg and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure l, an end view of a school-desk einbodying .the invention; Fig. 2, a transverse section cutting' through the desk-top and showing so much of the whole structure as necessary for the illustration of this invention; Figs. 3 and 4., modifications in the construction.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of school-desks in which the top of the desk is made to be turned as upon a pivot upward and forward, or from the pupil occupying the seat corresponding to the said desk. In this class of school-desks, as in all school-desks, the top of the desk proper when in its down or working position, is too high for the convenience of the pupil in many classes of work or different uses, as in kindergarten work, modeling', and other classes of work, a flat surface and at a lower elevation, so as to form practically a flat-top table in front of the pupil, is very desirable.

The object of my invention is a construction which will permit the conversion of a. school-desk into a table and so that the pupil may be at an elevation below the natural position of the desk-top; and it consists in com` bining with the desk-top a leaf hung below the desk-top and so as to be brought into a horizontal plane when the desk-top is turned upward and forward away from the pupil, as more fully hereinafter described.

In the best construction of my invention the desk-top A is hung by brackets B to the uprights O in the usual manner, and so that the desk may be turned from the working position represented in Fig. l upward and forward away from the pupil, as represented in Fig. 2. This construction being common and well known, does not require anything further i than this general description that it may be well understood. Upon the under side of the top a box is formed, composed of a back D and front E, closed at the ends. To the back D a leaf F is hinged, as at G, and so as to close the bottom of this box, the leaf extending onto the front E, as seen in Fig. 2, where it is secured by any suitable catch-such, for ilustration, as the latch II, shown in Fig. 2- which may be conveniently operated by the occupant of the desk. This leaf makes a close pocket upon the under side of the top A of the desk. V'Vhen the top is turned upward and forward, as in Fig. 2, the leaf F may be turned down forward of the pupil, as represented in broken lines, Fig. 2, it being provided with a suitable stop to support itin substantially a horizontal plane. This may be by a stop at the hinge, as shown, or any suitable stop provided for the purpose as a rest upon which the leaf may bear when it is turned down and away from the top. This construction provides a fiat table in front of the pupil and so much below the normal plane of the top of the desk as to be conveniently used by the pupil as a table for the various purposes for which such a table is desirable. The pocket thus formed in the under side of thedesk is a convenience for the storage of books, papers, instruments, or whatever may be desired. To attain access to the pocket, the desk will be turned up, as represented in Fig. 2, and then the leaf opened; but it will be understood that the leaf must be closed and secured before the desk-top is returned.

Upon the under side of theleaf F, I arrange a ledge I, which, when the desk-top is turned forward, as seen in Fig. 2, will serve as arest for the support of books or as an easel for the convenience of the pupil. Vhen the desktop is turned into its working position, this ledge will come so far beneath the desk as to be entirely out of the way. y

Instead of hinging the table-leaf F directly to the desk-top, it may be hinged in the standard below the desk-top, as seen in Fig. 3, and so as to swing independent of the desk-top, and so that the desk-top turned upward and forward the table may be brought into position for the convenience of the pupil, as shown;

IOO

but when the desk-top is turned into its working position then the table-leaf will be turned out of the way, or the leaf may be hinged directly to the desk-top, as represented in Fig. 4, thus omitting the pocket upon the under side of the desk top. I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting the invention to any speciiie arrangement of the auX- iliary or table leaf, the essential feature of the invention being the arrangement of the auxiliary leaf or table hinged so as to swing` beneath the desk-top, the desk-top itself being adapted to swing upward and forward from the occupant of the desk and so as to leave the said auxiliary leaf or table in front of the pupil, but below the normal plane of the desk-top.

I am aware that a desk-top has been made adjustable so as to form a leaf or table in different positions. I therefore do not claim, broadly, a school-desk constructed to form a leaf or table adjustable in different positions, the essential feature of this invention being the combining of a leaf or table with the desktop, which is brought into place for use when the desktop is turned from its normal or working plane.

I claim- 1. The hereindescribed school-desk, consisting of uprights at each end, a desk-top hung in said uprights and adapted to swing upward and forward from its normal position and having a leaf hung below the top of the 1' pose of clearing the space between such desk A and the desk in rear of it, substantially as described.

2. In a school-desk in which the desk-top is arranged to swing upward and forward from its normal or working position, the desk-top constructed with apoeket upon its under side, a leaf hinged to the front side of the said pocket, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a school-desk in which the desk-top is arranged to swin g upward and forward from its normal position,the top constructed with a box upon its under side, the bottom of which is hinged to the front side of the pocket and adapted to swing from the said desk in opening, and the said leaf constructed with a ledge I upon its front under side to serve as a book-rest when the desk-top is turned up and the leaf closed, substantially as and for the purpose described.

AUSBORN F. OLD.

Witnesses: I

CLAYTON W. OLD, J. A. HILTNER. 

